Wall-mounted clothing drier unit



May 21, 1968 H. J. WILHOYTE 3,383,

WALL'MQUNTED CLOTHING DRIER UNIT 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 25, 1966 INVEN'IOR.

2o %..1 2 z.3 HOWARD J. WILHOYTE by U jzjrmsv May 21, 1968 H- J. WILHOYTE WALL-MOUNTED CLOTHING DRIER UNIT 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed May 25, 1966 INVENTOR. 62 HOWARD J. WILHOYTE ATTORNEY y 1968 H. J. WILHOYTE 3,383,776

WALL-MOUNTED CLOTHING DRIER UNIT Filed May 25, 1966 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTUR. HOWARD J. WILHOYTE BY W W ATTO R United States Patent 3,383,776 WALL-MOUNTED CLOTHING DRIER UNIT Howard J. Wiihoyte, Lafayette, Ind., assignor to Topper Tools Inc., Lafayette, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Filed May 25, 1966, Ser. No. 552,823 6 Claims. (Cl. 34-53) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The clothing drier in unit form includes an elongate upright housing dimensioned for installation between the upright wall studs of a building wall or partition, and may be secured to said studs. The upper portion of the housing supports a hot air generating unit including a blower which directs heated air downwardly onto articles of clothing suspended within a drying compartment below the generating unit. The temperature of the drying air is thermostatically controlled, and a timer controls the extent of the drying period. All operating elements and controls are unitized above the drying compartment at eye level, and may be quickly removed for replacement as a unit when necessary, leaving the clothing drier housing securely mounted in the wall. The bottom area of the housing door vents the drying compartment to room atmosphere near floor level, to minimize drafts and noise.

The present invention relates to a wall-mounted clothing drier unit, to be installed bodily between the wall studs of buildings, usually within the bath room area thereof. The unit is electrically heated, and controlled to ensure the overnight drying or warming of washed clothing, towels, and various items of wearing apparel.

Travelers stopping at lodging houses, or persons living in efficiency apartments, find the device particularly useful and convenient for the rapid drying and warming of fabric articles and especially clothing, which may be washed at evening time for use the next morning, for example. The devices may be installed also in the bath rooms of individual dwellings, if desired.

An object of the invention is to provide a drying and warming unit of the character stated, which easily and quickly may be installed between the wall studs of a building under construction, or an existing building, with a minimum of labor and expense.

Another object of the invention is to provide a completely assembled unit of the character stated, which is fully automatic in its operation, and is safe and economical to operate.

A further object of the invention is to provide a drying device of unitary construction, which is pleasing in appearance when installed, and subject to quick and easy repair in the event of malfunction.

Another object is to provide in a device of the character stated, a unique drying technique whereby articles undergoing drying will not be subject to agitation or ballooning within the drying compartment, as heated air is directed upon the articles suspended therein, so that the drying space may be used to full capacity.

The foregoing and other objects are attained by the means described herein and illustrated upon the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation of the drier unit of the invention, showing its door or closure member in closed position.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the same.

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 1, with the door opened.

FIG. 4 is a front elevation of the upper portion of FIG. 1, with cover removed, showing details of a hot air generating unit or subassembly.

FIG. 5 is a vertical cross-section taken on line 55 of FIG. 4.

3,383,776 Patented May 21, 1968 FIG. 6 is a cross-section taken on line 6-6 of FIG. 4. FIG. 7 is a cross-section taken on line 7--7 of FIG. 4. FIG. 8 is a cross-section taken on line 88 of FIG. 3. FIG. 9 is a cross-section taken on line 99 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 10 is an enlarged fragmental cross-section taken on line 1010 of FIG. 1.

In general, the unit comprises an elongate upright housing, preferably of sheet metal, which is dimensioned for suspension between the upright studs of a building wall spaced apart a standard distance. The unit may carry a hinged access door affording access to a drying compartment fitted with hangers to suspend articles therein for drying or warming. In the upper portion of the housing, preferably at approximate eye level, is located a hot air generating unit which includes a blower for directing heated air downwardly onto the suspended articles within the drying compartment. The temperature of the heated air is thermostatically controlled, and a timer controls the extent of the drying period.

Installation of the unit is quickly and conveniently effected by driving a few nails or screws through the side walls of the housing and into the wall studs at either side thereof, and bringing a pair of electric conductors to the unit within the wall.

Since the flow of heated air within the drying compartment is downward, the articles suspended therein will not be inflated with air or blown about within the compartment, to occupy an excessive amount of space. Accordingly, the capacity of the drying compartment is rendered maximal.

With reference now to the details of the drawings, 12 denotes the upright housing having side walls 14, a rear wall 16, and top and bottom walls 18 and 20, respectively. The housing is open at the front, and may be closed by a closure member 22 herein shown as a vertically hinged door including a manual latch 24 to normally hold the door in closed position. The door or closure member 22 closes upon a drying compartment 26, wherein are located suitable rack means or hangers 28 for supporting clothing, towels, or other articles to be warmed or dried.

The racks or hangers 28 preferably are hingedly mounted or otherwise supported within the drying compartment, so as to be swung outside the confines of the compartment when the door is open, as in FIG. 8. For the purpose, each hanger may be provided with a downwardly directed end 30 rotatably supported in an upright bearing member 32, such bearing member being fixed upon that side wall of the housing which carries the door hinges 34. The opposite end of each hanger is free to swing outwardly, for convenience in applying and removing articles carried by the hangers, several of which hangers may be installed within the compartment. Any of the hangers may be removed from the compartment, by lifting them bodily off the bearing members 32, if desired.

Housing 12 at its upper end supports a panel 36 which is detachably mounted upon the housing as by means of screws 38, FIG. 6. The panel serves as a mount for a blower or air circulator 40, a motor-driven timer 42, and an electric heater 44 provided, preferably, with a thermostatic control 46. The elements 40, 42, 44 and 46, together with removable panel 36, constitute a hot air generating unit or sub-assembly, for directing a current of heated air downwardly into the drying compartment for circulation amongst articles supported upon the rack means 28. Panel 36 carries all the necessary wiring, including the connector terminal 48, for operation of the hot air generating unit. In FIG. 4, the reference numeral 50 indicates a pair of line wires supplying electric current to the unit.

The hot air generating unit is bodily removable from the housing with a minimum of effort, in the event of malfunction, and may readily be replaced with another such unit. The replacement involves merely the removal of screws 38, and disconnection of the line wires from terminal block 48 carried by panel 36.

The driving motor 52 of blower 40 may be secured to panel 36 by means of screws 54, and other screws 56 may be employed to mount heater 44 upon said panel. Timer 42 may be supported by a bracket 58 fixed to panel 36 at 60. Timer 42 may include a timer switch 45, and a manual control knob 42A for closing and opening the switch circuit and for setting the duration of the timer operating period. The control knob may be calibrated, in accordance with conventional practice, to establish the operating period of the timer. A control knob 44A may be provided for heater 44, to adjust the heat output of the heater, if desired.

The electrical connections on panel 36 may be so arranged that closing of the timer switch by means of knob 42A, completes an electrical circuit to the timer, the blower motor, and the heater. Upon termination of an operating period predetermined by the setting of the timer, the circuits of the heater and the blower motor may be opened so as to de-energize the heater and the blower motor, and preferably also the driving motor 43 of the timer, thereby to completely deactivate the hot air generating unit until such time as the control knob 42A is subsequently manipulated for initiating another operating period. The mode of wiring necessary for achieving the operation recited above is commonplace, and should require no detailed explanation.

The entire hot air generating unit including support panel 36, may be concealed behind a protective cover 62, which may be rendered detachable from the upper portion of housing 12 by means of screws or other fasteners 64. The operating shafts for control knobs 42A and 44A extend through openings in the cover, so as to be accessible at all times. Cover 62 is provided with an opening 66 in registry with the axis of blower wheel 40, so that the blower when operating may draw room air into the upper portion of housing 12, and direct such air toward heater 44.

Beneath heater 44 may be mounted a grille 68, FIG. 7, establishing communication between the upper portion of housing 12, and the subjacent drying compartment 26. Air driven by the blower passes over heater 44, and through grille 68, whence it enters the drying compartment to heat and dry articles supported upon the rack means 28. Such air may leave the drying compartment through an exhaust port 70, FIGS. 1 and 10, located preferably at or near the lower end of door 22. The exhaust port may be established by merely foreshortening the door 22, as suggested by FIGS. 1 and 3, or if desired, the door may be apertured near its lower end to provide an exhaust port within the door panel.

In FIG. 2, the reference characters 72 indicate small openings provided in the spaced parallel side walls of housing 12, to receive nails, screws, or other fasteners which may be driven into adjacent spaced wall studs for supporting the housing in a wall. The installation may be made so as to dispose the open front of the housing in substantially the plane of a wall surface, if desired.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that the wallmounted drying apparatus of the present invention may be quickly and easily installed between studs in a wall, as a completely prefabricated and preassembled unit, with substantial savings of time and skilled labor. The device after installation is pleasing in appearance, and is characterized by great durability. The hot air generating means is a unitary subassembly which easily and quickly may be replaced in the event of operating malfunction, all as previously explained herein. The racks or hangers provided are very conveniently accessible, and may be swung to convenient positions exteriorly of the drying compartment for loading and unloading.

Due to the overhead location of the hot air generating unit, performing to direct heated air downwardly over the suspended articles within the drying compartment, there is attained the advantage of eliminating any tendency of the articles to inflate or balloon while undergoing treatment. Accordingly, there is experienced no loss of capacity, nor any tendency of the articles to leave the hangers and fall to the bottom of the compartment.

It is to be understood that various modifications and changes may be made in the structural details of the device, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. A wall-mounted clothing drier in unit form, to be suspended between spaced wall studs of a building structure, and comprising in combination: an elongate upright housing including side walls spaced apart and dimensioned for accommodation between and fixation to a pair of spaced upright wall studs, said housing having an open front providing an upright article drying compartment; rack means for suspending articles within the compartment; 9. subassembly comprising an electric air heater, a motor-driven blower, and a timer, all mounted upon a support within the upper portion of the housing, the blower having an air intake port for intake of air from the front of the housing; electrical conductor means connecting the timer with the blower and the heater, whereby the timer controls energization of the blower and heater throughout a predetermined time period; means for detachably mounting the support of said subassembly upon the housing at the upper portion thereof, for expeditious bodily removal of the subassembly from the housing; a displaceable closure member for the open front of the housing, providing for access to the drying compartment and the rack means therein; said closure member having a vent in the lower portion thereof for exhausting air inducted into the drying compartment by the blower; and a cover for the subassembly aforesaid, having an upper port therein registering with the intake port of the blower, for supplying room air thereto.

2. The drier unit as specified by claim 1, wherein the closure member in closed position is substantially coplanar with the cover for the subassembly aforesaid.

3. The drier unit as specified by claim 1, wherein the rack means is supported upon the housing for movement to positions interiorly of and exteriorly of the drying compartment.

4. The drier unit as specified by claim 1, wherein the combination includes means for regulating the heat output of the electric heater.

5. The drier unit as specified by claim 3, wherein the movable rack means is in the form of an elongate substantially horizontal bar having an inner end hinged upon the housing interiorly of the drying compartment.

6. The drier unit as specified by claim 1, wherein the closure member extends along substantially the full length of the drying compartment, and is hingedly mounted upon one of the housing side walls.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,332,639 10/1943 Hudson 34-48 2,561,652 7/1951 Doolan 34-240 XR 2,831,268 4/1958 Cox 34-151 XR 2,850,810 9/1958 Lyons 34-163 3,054,194 9/1962 Hayes 34-163 3,256,617 6/1966 Konstandt 34-163 XR FOREIGN PATENTS 1,079,406 5/ 1954 France. 1,119,647 4/1956 France.

691,861 5/1953 Great Britain.

FREDERICK L. MATTESON, JR., Primary Examiner.

H. B. RAMEY, Assistant Examiner. 

